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Student Organises Islam Information Event
Coinciding with World Religion Day (16 January 2022), RNC student, Haris Abdullah Hamid, gave staff, students and governors a fascinating insight into the world religion of Islam.
Haris chose 'Islam' as the topic for his Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), a student-driven qualification, giving freedom to select a topic, conduct research and present findings.
Haris planned and organised an informative afternoon which comprised a presentation, demonstrations, a quiz and samples of some traditional food and drink that might be consumed at some of the festivals on the Islamic calendar.
Following an introduction, Haris proceeded to give a hugely enlightening talk, explaining that to be a Muslim means you 'submit your life to Allah' both mentally and physically.
He defined the six articles of the Muslim faith - the belief in: Allah as the one and only God; angels; the holy books; the Prophets; the day of judgement; and predestination - and how these beliefs are implemented through the Five Pillars of Islam: Profession of Faith (Shahada); Prayer (Salat); Alms (Zakat); Fasting (Sawm) and Pilgrimage.
Speaking about The Qur'an, Haris explained that it is the most important writing in the religion of Islam and has been unchanged throughout time. The Qur'an is written in Arablic and Muslims recite their prayers in Arabic. If translated into another language, for example, English, much is lost, as many words used in the The Qur'an have no English equivalent.
As a blind Muslim, who does not read Arabic Braille, Haris learns through listening, repetition and memory. There are 30 parts to The Qur'an and, impressively, Haris has learnt 17 parts to date. As assistive technology has developed, Haris now has access to a digital Qur'an reading pen, which he demonstrated using his own copy of The Qur'an.
As one of the Five Pillars of Faith, Muslims pray five times a day (at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening). Haris gave a beautifully harmonious performance of the call to prayer. The audience was also shown a stunning example of a prayer mat and religious beads before he demonstrated the act of prayer, respectfully removing his shoes before stepping on to the mat.
During a short interval those in attendance were able to taste some of the traditional sweet treats such as Soan Papdi, Ghee Halwa and dates along with chai tea and Badam.
Haris was an incredibly informative and engaging speaker, taking questions from the floor throughout the talk and everyone went away with a really positive and much-improved understanding of the core beliefs and practices of Islam.
Click
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to view some photos from the event.
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